The Cowboys may groom San Diego State tight end Gavin Escobar to ultimately replace Jason Witten, but the team may have greater needs.

Cowboys add pass catchers, little help for defense

Published: 27 April 2013 02:35 AM

IRVING — Clearly the No. 1 reason the NFL draft is now spread over three days is to capitalize on the phenomenal interest it generates. There are side benefits if you’re a team like the Dallas Cowboys.

In their case, the second day is all about one thing: recovery.

But after a head-scratching first round Thursday night, the Cowboys took it a step further when they drafted — get ready — a pass-catching tight end.

It’s no knock on 6-6, somewhat slow-footed Gavin Escobar to remind people that Jason Witten caught 110 passes in the 2012 season.

Now there’s nothing wrong with grooming replacements, especially for a 10-year veteran who has taken a pounding while becoming the Cowboys’ all-time leading receiver.

But clearly the Cowboys have greater needs, especially since James Hanna showed at least some potential as Witten’s backup last season.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and coach Jason Garrett made it clear that it’s all about formations and personnel groups and the belief that another pass-catching tight end can even open up running lanes, as it does for New England when both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are on the field.

Jones took it a step further when he said that the Cowboys’ initial trade down from the 18th spot enabled them to land three players they had in the top 25 on their draft board.

Still, in his first conversation with Dallas media, Escobar established himself as the second Dallas pick to be puzzled by his selection. He said he had no indication the Cowboys had interest in him.

“My agent was telling me second to fourth round,” Escobar said. The Cowboys took him in the top half of the second round, one day after picking center Travis Frederick of Wisconsin with the 31st pick of the opening round.

Frederick said he thought he would be a second-round pick.

And with the way the draft unfolded after the Cowboys made the highly suspect decision to trade down 13 spots in the first round, you have to ask this:

Could the Cowboys have stayed at 18 and drafted the top tight end on everyone’s draft board, Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert (he went 21st), and still landed Frederick in the second round?

Escobar acknowledged he needs to work on his strength and blocking in the run game before he can be considered a complete tight end. The 4.84 40-yard dash time has to be a concern, doesn’t it?

The selection of Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams in the third round was surely the first pick that pleased a high percentage of Cowboys fans. Williams, who played at W.T. White, led the nation last season with 1,832 receiving yards for the Bears.

At the same time, it signaled that this draft was all about offense and providing more weapons and security for Tony Romo.

Yet, statistically speaking, the Cowboys were far worse on defense than offense last year, and it was pretty much across the board. You can pinpoint some of last year’s problems on injuries, and the shift to a 4-3 under new coordinator Monte Kiffin is expected to bring positive change in itself.

But that unit needs young players, too, doesn’t it?

The Cowboys finally addressed their defense with their second selection of the third round, safety J. J. Wilcox of Georgia Southern. Realistically, though, he’s probably more of a return man and special teams player since he played both wide receiver and safety at Georgia Southern while averaging 25 yards per kickoff return.

Jones said whether it’s 2013 or later, Wilcox should be a starting safety for Dallas. He played the position just one year at Georgia Southern.

“If you don’t believe a player can start for you, you shouldn’t take him in the third round,” Jones said.

Still, there’s something on the highly questionable side of any draft in which a team’s third-round picks are more interesting than what a team did in the first two rounds.

Maybe this will play out differently than it seems.

Maybe Escobar will be this difference-maker that Garrett and Jones perceive him to be. Maybe Frederick will be that solid-as-a-rock foundation a center has to become.

The most cursory examinations of this club’s recent draft history make it difficult to reach that conclusion.